Hamas captures hostages as Israelis share photos of those missing
- 7 months ago
#Hamascaptures #hostagesIsraelis #sharephotos
Meanwhile, Israelis are sharing photos of friends and family they say were kidnapped by Hamas fighters and urging the public to help spread the news in hopes of getting them back safely. Hamas firing rockets from Gaza and sending armed men into Israeli territory led Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare that the country was "at war". At least one Israeli soldier has been taken prisoner, according to a new video geolocated and verified by CNN. Video posted on Hamas' official social media accounts shows militants pulling two clearly terrified and stunned soldiers out of a disabled tank. READ Israelis stunned and shaken by unprecedented Hamas offensive It is not clear in the video how the tank was disabled, but Hamas has previously used drones to Israeli tanks. A short video clip shows one of soldiers being kicked to the ground by militants. Another video shows the soldier lying motionless on the ground. The second soldier appears to have been taken away by Hamas militants. A third soldier, whose face is very bloody, can be seen lying motionless on the ground near the tank line. CNN did not know the current whereabouts or condition of the three soldiers. A second video taken later shows a number of different armed men around the tank. The three soldiers are nowhere to be seen. The gunmen are then seen removing a fourth Israeli soldier from the tank. The soldier is motionless as he is dragged down side of the tank and towards ground. Armed men are seen trampling his body. Hamas' armed wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, claimed to have captured "dozens" of Israelis on Saturday. "We give good news to our Palestinian detainees and people that there are dozens of Israeli officers and soldiers in the hands of Al-Qassam Brigades," Al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Obaida said in a post on Telegram. READ World leaders unite to condemn Hamas' unprecedented attack on Israel Palestinians demolish the rubble of a building hit by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City. "They were secured in safe places and resistance tunnels." In a recorded voice message released later Saturday, Obaida said all captured Israelis "were located on all axes in the Gaza Strip." "What happened to the people of the Gaza Strip will happen to them too, beware of miscalculations," he added. On Saturday evening, the Israel Defense Forces said the number of civilians captured by Hamas was "unfortunately a significant number." "The fact that so many Israeli citizens are in the hands of a terrorist organization is unprecedented in our history," spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. People stand in front of a mosque destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip. “These are numbers we have never seen before, and they are unprecedented and will force an unprecedented response from Israel,” Conricus said. 'The situation does not look good' Yoni Asher, resident Sharon County, told CNN's Erin
Meanwhile, Israelis are sharing photos of friends and family they say were kidnapped by Hamas fighters and urging the public to help spread the news in hopes of getting them back safely. Hamas firing rockets from Gaza and sending armed men into Israeli territory led Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare that the country was "at war". At least one Israeli soldier has been taken prisoner, according to a new video geolocated and verified by CNN. Video posted on Hamas' official social media accounts shows militants pulling two clearly terrified and stunned soldiers out of a disabled tank. READ Israelis stunned and shaken by unprecedented Hamas offensive It is not clear in the video how the tank was disabled, but Hamas has previously used drones to Israeli tanks. A short video clip shows one of soldiers being kicked to the ground by militants. Another video shows the soldier lying motionless on the ground. The second soldier appears to have been taken away by Hamas militants. A third soldier, whose face is very bloody, can be seen lying motionless on the ground near the tank line. CNN did not know the current whereabouts or condition of the three soldiers. A second video taken later shows a number of different armed men around the tank. The three soldiers are nowhere to be seen. The gunmen are then seen removing a fourth Israeli soldier from the tank. The soldier is motionless as he is dragged down side of the tank and towards ground. Armed men are seen trampling his body. Hamas' armed wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, claimed to have captured "dozens" of Israelis on Saturday. "We give good news to our Palestinian detainees and people that there are dozens of Israeli officers and soldiers in the hands of Al-Qassam Brigades," Al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Obaida said in a post on Telegram. READ World leaders unite to condemn Hamas' unprecedented attack on Israel Palestinians demolish the rubble of a building hit by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City. "They were secured in safe places and resistance tunnels." In a recorded voice message released later Saturday, Obaida said all captured Israelis "were located on all axes in the Gaza Strip." "What happened to the people of the Gaza Strip will happen to them too, beware of miscalculations," he added. On Saturday evening, the Israel Defense Forces said the number of civilians captured by Hamas was "unfortunately a significant number." "The fact that so many Israeli citizens are in the hands of a terrorist organization is unprecedented in our history," spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. People stand in front of a mosque destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip. “These are numbers we have never seen before, and they are unprecedented and will force an unprecedented response from Israel,” Conricus said. 'The situation does not look good' Yoni Asher, resident Sharon County, told CNN's Erin